Unwarranted Revenge
by Hot Llama
Summary: God... no... The girl's ashen face was twisted into a grimace of agony, her dark eyes wide and filled with terror. She let out a groan of pain as she hunched over, her hands clutching her hair, grabbing fistfulls of violet. Raven choked out a small cry...
1. Chapter 1

Well, I've pretty much abandoned Fate. I can't think of anything to write, I don't want to write, the very thought of attempting to write another chapter makes me cringe. Sorry, but I have never and probably will ever be able to keep a story going for more than a few chapters. To the people who liked that story, I'm very sorry, and thanks a ton for supporting it while I was writing it.

This particular story may be a few chapters long, but it's still going to be pretty short. Back to ficlets for me.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Teen Titans, nor the poem 'The Raven' by Edgar Allen Poe.

**-UR-**

_"...And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting  
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;  
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming.  
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;  
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor  
Shall be lifted---nevermore!"_

-- From _The Raven_, by Edgar Allen Poe

There was once a contraption used for torturing those, either for punishment or for information. The bodies of live humans were tied to it, and pulled. Stretched farther, jerked farther, pulled farther apart than they should be. Jerked tighter and tighter, falling further away from a natural distance. Every passing second tears them bit by bit, destroying them slowly, agonizingly. Limbs are dislocated, skin is ripped.

Eventually, they snap.

It could be said that this was very similar to what Raven's mind was going through on a certain Sunday morning, though she snapped in a way that is... different. Much different.

"God... no..."  
The girl's ashen face was twisted into a grimace of agony, her dark eyes wide and filled with terror. She let out a groan of pain as she hunched over, her hands clutching her hair, grabbing fistfulls of violet hair. Raven choked out a small cry, curling her body forward so that her head rested against the floor. "Stop..." she quietly begged, though she knew there was nobody there to hear her pleas. Her friends were nearby, this she knew; Beast Boy and Cyborg were probably in the living room, Starfire and Robin upon the roof.

And yet, there was no one to relieve her of the overwhelming torture that filled her body.

Burning tears dripped down Raven's pale cheeks, and even through the wall of pain clouding her thoughts the Azarathean was surprised to find that nothing was breaking. What was wrong with her? She didn't even know what had set off the sudden burst of agony. She had only been sitting in her room, reading. Nothing more, nothing less. Raven let out a small moan as she rolled onto her side, which escalated quickly to a scream. She had never wanted to know what being on fire felt like, but she was fairly certain that now she did. The empath cried out in both agony and helplessness as she lay on the floor of her room, writhing in pain. Her eyes squeezed shut, sweat dripping down her cheek. "Help..." she mumbled weakly, every fiber of her body screaming.

Wasn't she supposed to be blacking out or something? She'd heard of people passing out from pain before-- _but of course I can't be lucky enough for that, now can I? _Raven thought dryly as she gasped for breath, whimpering as a fresh burst of agony shot through her. She opened her eyes, which immediately widened.

A scream ripped through the Tower as she stared down at her crimson skin. "No!" Raven screeched, crossing her arms over her chest to grab her shoulders, her nails digging into the scarlet flesh through her leotard. "Help! Stop it! Please!" Tears flooded down her cheeks as she clawed at her legs, as though she could scratch off the tone of her skin. Her nails left thin streaks of blood upon her legs, the warm fluid dripping down her burning skin. Her hands moved to her face, her fingernails tearing at her cheeks. "Stop!" she screamed again, shaking her head again as she tucked her legs up to her chest. "Stop it!" The telepath sobbed, shaking her head as blood streamed in almost a menacingly way down her face. She drew in deep, sharp breaths, closing her eyes and whimpering as she lay on the floor. "Don't," she mumbled, suddenly feeling the pain slowly fade away. It was quickly replaced with exhaustion, however, and Raven's eyes slowly closed as she heard the door of her room jerk open. "Raven!" Robin's shout echoed distantly, as though he were far away instead of several feet in front of her. The scene around her darkened, the only sound the thumping of several pairs of feet as Raven's teammates rushed over to her.

And then, four gleaming, crimson eyes stared up at the Titans, and a malicious grin took over her face as Raven's hand snapped up, closing swiftly around Robin's throat.

"Hello."

**-UR-**

"Raven!" Starfire gasped, immediately darting forward towards her two friends. Robin's eyes widened behind the white lens of his mask, and he reached up to try and pry Raven's hand from his throat, gasping for breath. Raven's grin spread as Starfire grabbed her arm, seperating the empath from their dark-haired friend. Robin backed away, massaging his throat as he coughed. Beast Boy and Cyborg stood several feet away, matching, stunned expressions upon their faces. As Starfire moved towards Robin, resting one hand on his shoulder, she looked over at Raven, her emerald eyes wide with confusion. "Raven?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking as she stared at the crimson-skinned girl in front of her. "What... what has happened to you?"

Raven's lips closed together, curling into a smirk as she pushed herself to her feet. Blood continued to drip from the cuts adorning her face and legs as the demon hybrid folding her arms across her chest, tilting her head to the side. "Something that should have happened quite a while ago," she said delicately, her voice light and surprisingly pleasant, yet terrifying malevolent at the same time, if it was even possible. "Something... wonderful." As soon as the last syllable slipped from her tongue, Raven shot forward, her hand clamping over Starfire's mouth as she pinned the alien girl against the wall of her bedroom. "Raven, stop!" Robin shouted, his voice raspy and strangled. Beast Boy took a step forward, but Cyborg beat him to it, quickly running forward and pulling Raven away from the Tamaranean. His mechanical arms wrapped around her, pinning the empath's arms to her sides. "Raven, knock it off!" he growled. "Tell us what's wrong, and we can help."

To the Titans' growing surprise, Raven laughed. It started out as a small chuckle, then grew into a cliche, insane-bad-guy cackle. "You? Help?" she chortled, shaking her head as she turned her head to the side, glaring back at Cyborg with all four eyes. "I'm sure you'll all realize soon that I'm not the one who needs help." Cyborg's real eye widened as Raven jerked one hand from his grip with surprising ease, reached up, and curled her fist around the mechanical part of his head. Cyborg let out a cry of pain as the telepath ripped the cerulean material away, revealing an intricate mass of circuits. "What the hell are you doing?" Beast Boy shouted, his olive skin paling. He and Starfire jump towards Raven, grabbing her arms and pulling her away from Cyborg. Robin quickly ran over to their metal friend, kneeling on the ground as Cyborg fell forward, his iron hands held over the gaping hole. Raven grinned, allowing Starfire and Beast Boy to grip her upper arms as she watched Cyborg draw in deep, ragged breaths. "That's not even the beginning of what you're going to feel," she hissed menacingly, a frighteningly mirthful smile upon her face. "You're all going to suffer."

Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy exchanged worried glances as they looked from Raven to Cyborg, who was still hunched on the ground. The violet-haired girl immediately took advantage of their distraction and pulled away from Beast Boy and Starfire, moving swiftly towards Cyborg before any of the other Titans could stop her. In one fluid movement, Raven was on her knees in front of Cyborg, her hands on his cheeks as she jerked him onto his back on the floor. She bent over him, her hand clapping firmly over his face as steam lifted from his skin, causing Cyborg let out a loud screech of agony. "Cyborg!" Robin shouted, quickly jumping to his feet and grabbing Raven by her violet hair, mercilessly jerking her away from his friend. Instead, Raven remained rooted to the spot, as though she had not even felt Robin's grip. Cyborg screamed again as his real eye widened, his pupils shrinking, and he reached up, swatting at the air. "Stop it!" he screeched, his face disfigured into a terrified grimace. The corners of Raven's lips curled into a smile as her fingernails dug into his neck, leaving indents in the smooth metal.

An emerald blast of energy hit her in the side of the head, and Raven let out a small cry as she was flung away from Cyborg, her thin frame slamming against the wall from the force of the blow. Starfire lowered her hand, her eyes glowing brightly as she directed a surprisingly cold glare towards the other girl. "Raven," she said slowly, "I do not truly understand what has happened to you, and you are my friend. I do not wish to attack you. Please stop this behavior immediately before I am forced to do something I may regret." Beast Boy and Robin glanced at each other, surprised at the frigid tone of Starfire's voice. The changeling looked over at Raven, his jade eyes anxious as the empath slowly pushed herself to her feet, her four eyes staring at the other three Titans in front of her. Her gaze settled upon Beast Boy, whose olive face paled as he took a step back. "Raven," Robin warned, shaking his head as he took a step toward her. "Please, Raven!" Starfire begged, raising her arms once more. "Please stop. You should not hurt people. You should not hurt your friends!"

Raven glanced over at the Tamaranian, her crimson eyes narrowed. "Friends?" she hissed. "We are not friends. You are lowly, you are scum." She turned, taking a step slowly towards Starfire. "What was the word? Troq?" The blood drained from Starfire's face, hurt splattered across her face. "Raven, knock it off!" Robin shouted, his eyes narrowed with a sudden rage. "How do we get you back to normal? Tell us, now!" Raven froze, smirking cruelly at Starfire before she turned her head to look at Robin. She watched him apathetically for a moment, saying nothing, before she smiled. "Nope," she chirped, and then swiftly turning to Beast Boy, grabbed his throat, and wrapped her arms around him as she flew right through the window of her room. Shards of glass ripped at the two as Raven carried the changeling away from Titans Tower. Beast Boy's eyes widened in horror as he looked back at the Tower, the wind whistling past them. He glanced up at Raven, rather uneasy to find that she was smirking down at him. "Had to get away," she explained. "But I thought you might make good company." Beast Boy watched her silently a moment before he swallowed, grimacing slightly. "So this is the demon you, huh?" he asked quietly. "I guess that makes sense... if you can be a person, I guess you should be able to be a demon, too." Raven arched an eyebrow, grinning brightly. "Well," she said, evidently somewhat pleased. "You're not as dumb as you act."

**-UR-**

"I do not understand, Robin," Starfire whimpered as she looked down at Cyborg. "Why... what has happened to Raven?" Their metallic friend was unconscious, fortunately for him. The circuits in his head occasionally sparked and twitched, and the flesh beneath where Raven's hand had been was burnt and bloody, as though she had set him afire instead of merely touching him. Robin scowled darkly as he stood up, shaking his head. "I can't say I really do," he admitted darkly. "But we need to get Cyborg to the hospital and go after Raven and Beast Boy." Starfire nodded slowly, looking down at the floor, her shoulders slumped. She looked back up as Robin rested one hand on her shoulder, smiling gently. "She didn't mean it," he murmured. "She's not herself, that much I do know." Starfire returned his smile with a small one of her own, reaching up to touch his hand. "I know," she said softly. "But I still do not like hearing that word, no matter what the circumstances." Robin lightly squeezed her shoulder before his arm dropped to his side, and he turned his head to look back at Cyborg.

"What worries me," he muttered, his scowl returning, "is that we have no idea how to stop her. I know this has something to do with Trigon, that's fairly obvious. But..." He sighed, reaching up with one gloved hand to massage his forehead.

"We couldn't defeat him before. Raven was the one who killed him. If we couldn't beat him, but she could, how are we going to be able to stop _her_?"

**-UR-**

Raven settled gently on the shore of the Jump City Bay, releasing Beast Boy from her grip. The changeling stumbled forward, quickly straightening as he turned to look at the demon hybrid in front of him. The violet-haired girl raised one hand, her signature obsidian aura glowing around her palm. Beast Boy's eyes widened, and his legs bent, ready to jump away from any attack the demonic version of his friend might decide to fling his way.

To his surprise, she made no move to attack him.

"Well?" Beast Boy demanded, his eyes narrowed. "Aren't you going to kill me? Make me suffer, or whatever?" To his surprise, Raven lowered her hand, watching him curiously. She slowly shook her head, her four eyes narrowing slightly. "No," she murmured, sounding vaguely shocked. "I don't want to." Beast Boy blinked twice, straightening again as he watched her carefully. "Really?" he asked, his uncertainty carrying into his voice. Raven nodded, seeming just as surprised as he was. She took a step forward, reaching up to touch his cheek with one thin, crimson hand. Beast Boy flinched at her touch, though kept himself from jerking away, as he decided such a motion had to potential to piss her off. "Beast Boy..." Raven mumbled quietly, tilting her head slightly to the side as she stared at him.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she fell to her knees in the sand, gripping her head in her hands. Beast Boy stared down at her in horror as she jerked her head up, her eyes large and dark, like they normally were. "Beast Boy!" she gasped, looking as though she might burst into tears at any second. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean too-- I can't control it! I don't know how to stop it!" The changeling dropped to his knees in front of her, reaching out to rest his hands on her shoulders. "Raven, what's going on?" he asked urgently, his emerald eyes wide with concern. "I don't know," Raven moaned, shaking her head. "I really don't. I don't know what happening to me." She drew in a deep, shaking breath as she squeezed her eyes shut, still shaking her head. "I think," she mumbled miserably, "I think that... I don't know. I think that eventually, all the pressure of trying to contain that side of me..." She trailed off, muttering curses under her breath. Beast Boy leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his shoulder. "It's okay," he murmured. "It's over now."

A soft giggle escaped Raven, and the changeling drew back with surprise. Raven looked up at him, the four scarlet eyes upon her forehead once more. "I take back what I said before," she whispered. Her hand snaked out, her thin fingers squeezing his throat as Beast Boy's eyes widened.

"You are as dumb as you act."

**-UR-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Teen Titans.

**-UR-**

"Cyborg?"

The mechanical teenager's eye flickered open, and he frowned slightly as he turned his head. Starfire grinned brightly as she looked down at him, clapping her hands together. "Oh, Cyborg!" she chirped. "I am delighted to see that you are well!" Cyborg blinked once as he sat up, reaching up to rub his head. "Um, what happaned?" he inquired, looking around the white hospital room. Starfire's grin faltered as she looked down at the floor. "Our friend Raven attacked you," she mumbled quietly. "She took Beast Boy and left. Robin has gone after them." All at once, the events came rushing back, and Cyborg cringed, lying back down in the hospital bed. "Any idea what's wrong with her?" he asked, glancing up at Starfire. The Tamaranian shrugged, sitting down on a chair that had been placed near Cyborg's cot. "We are not sure," she sighed, her emerald eyes tracing over the patterns on the ceiling. "Robin believes that it may have something to do with Trigon."

Cyborg let out a low whistle as he grimaced, shaking his head slightly. "Damn," he muttered. "And just when I thought we had beaten all the baddies and were going to be able to relax." "Trigon is not an ordinary 'baddie'," Starfire reminded her friend as she stood up, her shoulders slumped as she floated aimlessly about the room. "I fear he has done something terrible to our friend and that she shall never be the same and that many innocent people will be injured or Raven could possibly injure one of us as she has done to you, and that if she ever returns to normal she will be blamed for terrible things, and--" she stopped when she realized that Cyborg was watching her with an arched eyebrow, and she blushed sheepishly, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I should be shutting up now, yes?" she asked timidly, risking a glance up at her friend. Cyborg smiled and shook his head, then sighed. "You're right, though," he said, quickly replacing his smile with a frown. "If we don't figure out what's up with Rae soon, bad stuff's gonna happen."

**-UR-**

"R-Raven..." Beast Boy gasped out his friend's name, staring at her with wide eyes as her hand squeezed tighter around his throat. The corner of Raven's lip twitched into a sneer as her crimson eyes narrowed, and she pulled Beast Boy towards her, their faces inches apart. "You are a fool," she stated harshly, then shoved him away, releasing him from her grip. Beast Boy fell to the ground, coughing as he tried to intake as much oxygen as possible. Raven glared down at him coldly, her face void of any form of emotion as she watched the changeling. "Why aren't you attacking me?" she demanded, her hands curling into fists as she stretched one leg out, slamming her shin into Beast Boy's side. The olive-toned boy's eyes widened as he was sent flying several feet away, landing in the sand with a soft thud. "Everyone else has," Raven hissed, striding over to him and repeating the attack on his opposite side. "Why won't you?"

Beast Boy coughed again, one hand holding his side. Warm, sticky blood seeped slowly through his uniform, and his rib cage felt tender and painful. He drew in a shaky breath as he shook his head, pushing himself to his knees and tilting his head back. "I don't..." he mumbled, shaking his head again. He let out a small yelp as Raven's heel connected squarely with his chest, sending him sprawled out on his back in the sand. "You don't what?" the empath snarled, slinking over to him and planting her foot on his breastbone. "If you want to say something, say it before I kill you." Beast Boy stared up at her, silent for a moment as his ribs throbbed painfully. "I don't..." he started again, trailing off for a moment as he watched Raven sadly.

"I don't want to fight you."

His words seemed to startle Raven, who jerked her foot away and backed up several feet, her scarlet eyes narrowed. "Why wouldn't you?" she demanded. "Are you too weak? Are you afraid? You're just a little coward, aren't you?" She walked back towards the shape-shifter, closing the distance between them as she stood over his blood-stained form. "You're pathetic," she hissed, slamming her foot against his chest again. "You're weak. You're stupid. I'm not surprised that you don't want to fight me; you're probably scared out of your little mind, aren't you?" The last sentence was spoken in a mockingly sympathetic voice, and Raven's lips curled menacingly into a smirk. Beast Boy glared up at her, cringing as her foot pressed against his rib cage, pain radiating throughout his torso. "No," he stated firmly. "It's because you're my friend, demonified or not."

Raven shook her head, staring at him incredulously. "You really are a fool," she marveled. "You would place our supposed friendship before your own _life_? You're afraid to defend yourself because of something so meaningless?" She removed her foot from his chest, kneeling down next to him and bending over him, their faces parallel as she glared down at him. "You humans," she scoffed, shaking her head. "You are all fools. My father was right." Raven arched an eyebrow as Beast Boy slowly shook his head, his emerald eyes staring up into her crimson ones. "You're human, too," he reminded her quietly. The empath jerked back, her face declaring her surprise at his words before she scowled and reached down, tracing her the nail of her index finger along Beast Boy's jawline. She leaned her face closer to his, glaring coldly down at him. "Never," she whispered, "relate me to your pathetic kind. You think you understand, yet you have no idea." She tilted her head to the side, staring down at his throat as she curled her finger around, placing it under his chin. "I could slit your throat right now," Raven murmured softly, her gaze shifting to his face. "Then why don't you?" Beast Boy growled, his eyes narrowing as he glared up at her. Whisps of violet fell into Raven's face as she remained silent, simply staring down at him, before she moved forward, pressing her lips against Beast Boy's.

The changeling's eyes widened a considerable amount as he tried to comprehend what was going on, and then realized that there was no point in trying to do so. The situation certainly was a unique one; he was lying on the beach, one of his friends was in the hospital, and the other friend that had put the first friend there was now kissing him. Raven pulled away, a look of confusion settling across her features as her fingers came up to cover her mouth. "I don't know why I did that," she muttered, scowling. "It was stupid of me. It meant nothing, so don't flatter yourself into thinking that." Beast Boy watched her silently as the empath stood up, sharply brushing sand off of her cloak. "I'm going to spare you for the moment," she explained as she brushed invisible dirt off her shoulder, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to kill you later, understood?" Beast Boy blinked twice, still feeling vaguely numb as he nodded. Raven frowned, her lips twitching into a slight snarl before she shook her head and vanished into the ground in a flame of obsidian.

Beast Boy painstakingly pushed himself to his feet, cringing as pain shot through his upper body. "Damn," he muttered. Was it just him, or was Raven a lot stronger now? _Probably because of the demony... ness_, he thought, marvelling at how intelligent he sounded even when he was thinking. The squeal of tires caught his attention, and Beast Boy looked up to see the R-Cycle in the middle of an action-movie-type motorcycle parking job, complete with the sideways skid. Robin jerked off his helmet and dismounted the motorcycle, quickly jogging towards his friend. "Beast Boy!" he shouted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he slowed his gait. "Are you okay?" Beast Boy nodded, wincing as he reached up with one hand to scratch his head. "Er, yeah," he mumbled. "I'm fine." He turned to look at where Raven had been standing moment ago, the memory of her surprised expression still fresh in his mind.

_You're afraid to defend yourself because of something so meaningless?_

For a moment, Beast Boy wondered if that had been the demonic side of Raven that had said that, or if that was how she truly felt about her relationship with her friends. _No way_, he silently scoffed. _I've heard her talk. We're her family, she said so herself. _He looked back at Robin, who was frowning worriedly as he looked at the crimson fluid seeping through the side of Beast Boy's uniform. "Raven did that, didn't she," he growled. It wasn't spoken as a question, and Beast Boy doubted if Robin really expected an answer. Nonetheless, the changeling nodded, looking back at Raven's last position.

"Yeah."

**-UR-**

_Why...?_

Raven shook her head as she landed at the edge of the forest on the outskirts of Jump City, her crimson eyes narrowed. Why had she done that? She'd shown actual feeling-- for a _human_, even. Disgusting. She shook her head, horrified at her actions, and yet confused as well. He was just a stupid, lowly, filthy human. She felt nothing for him except for hatred. She despised him. She wanted him dead by her own hands. _It's the bad side_, she decided as she trudged aimlessly among the trees. _It's the human side that's making me feel this way. I don't care for him at all, I'm just fooling myself. _

She groaned, stopped as she leaned against a nearby tree trunk. Raven glanced up, watching the sunlight slipping into the forest through breaks in the tree branches. She still was confused as to how and why she had turned into her demon form, let alone what effects it might have upon her, both physically and mentally.

The chirping of a squirrel caught Raven's attention, and her eyes darted up, scanning the tree branches. She smirked as she found the animal on the trunk of a large tree, and she held out one hand, a dark aura surrounding her fingers. A thick branch broke off of the tree, and it glowed onyx as Raven slammed it against the trunk. With a wave of her hand, the branch fell to the earth, and Raven smiled as she looked at the crimson liquid that had been splattered across the wood.

_I just killed a small, furry mammal that makes most people coo and squeal. How can I do that, yet I can't kill that stupid boy? _

She shook her head, her smile vanishing as she slammed her fist into the trunk of the tree closest to her, scowling in frustration. One thing was for sure: she had quite a lot of things to figure out before she went back to kill those stupid enough to call themselves her friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Heh, be prepared for lots of fluff in this chapter (along with a lot of Beast Boy being WAY OOC ;), guys Tis the last chapter, what do you expect?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Teen Titans.

**-UR-**

_Plop. Plop. Plop._

Robin watched the stone sink in the dark water before he bent to pick up another pebble, his eyes narrowing as he flung it smoothly towards the bay. It skipped several times, sending ripples throughout the water, before it sank like the rock before it. The Boy Wonder sat down on one of the large rocks bordering Titans Island, letting out a small sigh as he tilted his face towards the sky.

A soft rain began to fall, splattering against his face and tugging at his hair. A light smile jerked at the corner of his mouth, and though Robin knew it was probably dangerous to be out here by himself, what with the whole Raven-trying-to-kill-the-Titans thing, but it was relaxing, and he needed to think. He had to think of a way to protect them; not just his friends, but the entire city. Cyborg was in the hospital, Beast Boy was sleeping up in the infirmary of the Tower. Who knew what Raven would do if she got to Robin and Starfire?

Robin's cerulean eyes narrowed behind his mask. _She's NOT going to get us_, he thought firmly. _I won't let her. _It was a difficult situation, that much was certain. Raven was like a sister to him, and he definately didn't want to fight her. He also didn't want her attacking the rest of his friends, however, and he knew that in order to keep her from doing so, he had to fight. Robin shook his head, reaching up with one gloved hand to brush his damp hair out of his face.

He had made a promise to the city, and to his friends, when he became a Titan. He had promised to protect them. That was his job. But how could he protect one of them, while not completely protecting the other? "There has to be a way," he mumbled, staring up at the darkening sky. Surely there was some sort of way that they could return Raven to normal without hurting her? It wasn't her fault, he knew that. Robin scowled, and he closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him.

"Robin?"

The Boy Wonder's slowly opened as he turned, his smile returning as he saw the red-haired alien walking towards him. Starfire sat down next to him, returning his smile with a small one of her own. "Hey, Star," Robin greeted her quietly before he looked out at the water, his eyes narrowing once more. The Tamaranian tucked her legs up to her chest, resting her hands on her knees. "Robin..." she started, trailing off as she looked down at her feet. Robin looked back over at her, and she darted a glance over at him before hestitantly continuing. "I am worried," she mumbled. "Friends Cyborg and Beast Boy appear to be recovering, but I do not understand what is wrong with Raven."

Robin's shoulders slumped as he watched her, his expression softening. "If I said that I did," he murmured, "I would be lying. There are a lot of things that we don't know about her. Maybe this is like when you had that Transformation thing; maybe Raven's just going through a phase. It could just go away on its own." Starfire nodded slightly, her auburn hair plastering to her head and shoulders. "I hope so," she sighed. "I do not like seeing our friends hurt each other, and I most certainly do not like having to fight our friend." She looked up at her companion as he reached out, resting a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "We'll figure this out," Robin assured her, making sure to sound as determined as possible, no matter what his true feelings were. "We'll figure out a way to get her back to normal without hurting her." Starfire watched him for a moment, as though she was trying to see how honest he was really being, before she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder. Robin curled his own arms around her shoulders, placing his chin on top of her head and closing his eyes.

"We'll figure it out."

**-UR-**

_"Changeling."_

Beast Boy brow furrowed slightly, his eyes still closed as he rested on the cot in the infirmary of Titans Tower. His side ached, and he immediately wished that he hadn't been awoken from the nap he had fallen into several hours ago, upon returning to the Tower and having his injuries treated.

... Wait, who had woken him up?

The changeling's emerald eyes flew open, then immediately widened as he looked up at four crimson eyes mounted rose-colored flesh. "R-Raven?" he stammered, quickly scrambling into a sitting position and wincing from the sudden movement. Raven stared sullenly at him, and something about her appearance made Beast Boy stop and stare at her, though more out of curiousity than fear. She looked... lost, like a child seperated from its guardians. Beast Boy's expression softened as Raven looked down at the ground, reaching up with one hand to brush her violet hair out of her face. "I'm going to kill you," she mumbled, all four eyes closing as she sighed softly. The olive-skinned boy froze, his eyes widening again before he pushed back the blankets of the cot and eased off the bed.

It wasn't like it was the first time he had hear the threat, but why didn't she seem as malicious as she had before? Beast Boy tilted his head slightly with confusion as Raven reached up, pulling her hood up over her head. "I'm going to kill you," she repeated, as though she were trying to convince herself of it. "I am." Beast Boy took a step closer to her, watching her silently. _You know,_ he thought dryly, _most people would run when there's a demon-chick standing in front of them telling them that they're going to die. _Then again, Raven wasn't exactly a 'demon-chick,' he supposed. He took another step closer to the girl, bringing the space between them to about six inches. Raven's eyes shot open as Beast Boy reached up to remove her hood from her head, and she stepped away, curling her hands over the clasp of her cloak. "Don't touch me," she hissed, her voice wavering as she backed another step away. "Why are you here?" the changeling asked, slowly walking towards her. The empath backed up against the wall of the infirmary, looking rather like a cornered animal.

And then, in the bright light of the infirmary, Beast Boy noticed something rather strange.

_Her skin's not as red,_ he noticed with alarm. _It looks more like it normally does. _Was she turning back to normal? The changeling walked closer to her, closing the space between them. Raven glared menacingly at him, wrapping her arms around herself. "Don't come near me!" she shouted, her voice quivering once more. "I'll kill you! I'll tear your throat out!" Her lips curled into a malicious grin as she tilted her head to the side, watching Beast Boy. "I'll rip out your intestines," she twittered, sounding oddly pleased with herself, though she still seemed meeker than she had before. "I'll strangle you with your own entrails. You'll drown in your own blood. You'll _die_."

Just watching her, the answer suddenly hid Beast Boy like a truck. _Every time someone tries to get close to her, she gets scared, _he marveled. _Showing feelings for her scares out the demon. _

For once, Beast Boy was incredibly proud of his logic, and made a mental note to give himself a pat on the back when this was over and done with. "Really?" he asked lightly, arching an eyebrow. "Then why don't you?" Raven's eyes widened as she stared at him, and she swallowed. "I will," she snarled. The changeling's lips twitched into a smirk. "I don't think you really want to kill me," he whispered, his two jade eyes staring into her four crimson ones. Raven pressed her body against the wall, glaring coldly at him. "Of course I do," she snapped. "You're a Titan. You made me kill my own father. Everything is your fault!" The shape-shifter backed away with surprise, his emerald eyes widened. _Made her kill her own father? _he thought, repeating her words in his mind. "Is that what this is about?" he asked incredulously, his gaze riveted upon the dark-haired girl in front of him. "You want to kill us because of that?"

Raven's hands curled into fists as she glared at him, shaking slightly. "Of course," she growled lowly. "My father is dead because of you Titans. You all made me kill him. He left me all alone!" Her last sentence came out louder than the others, and she was now visibly shaking. "My father was great," Raven snarled. "He was going to rid the world of every pathetic, meaningless mortal. He was going to wipe out those who were unfit for life. He let the weak die, and left the strong to grow stronger. You ruined it!" To Beast Boy's surprise, Raven looked as though she was about to cry. The changeling walked back over to her, and before he knew what he was doing, his arms were wrapped around the telepath's shoulders, and he had pulled her into something of a hug. "Let go of me!" Raven shrieked, struggling against him. Beast Boy's eyes widened as pain shot through him, his side throbbing painfully.

_Don't let go._

"Release me!" Raven screeched, the volume of her voice rising. "Let go of me right now!" Beast Boy tightened his grip around her, squeezing his eyes shut to keep from crying out in pain as Raven's struggles returned the pain to his ribs. "Nope," he hissed quietly, removing one arm from around her to grab one of her wrists. The Azarathean jerked away, her crimson eyes wide, and Beast Boy mentally congratulated himself when he saw that her skin had paled further. He reached out, grabbing her other wrist. "Raven, I'm trying to help you," he said gently. "I know you're in there. I'm doing the most that I can. _You _have to fight it, too." To the shape-shifter's surprise, Raven slowly shook her head, suddenly looking as though she was going to cry. "I can't," she whispered, and Beast Boy knew immediately that it was Raven speaking, not her demonic side. As soon as the words were out, however, the malicious grin returned to the violet-haired girl's face, and she grabbed Beast Boy's wrists before flinging him across the room. The boy let out a small cry as he crashed against a small table of medical supplies, spilling medicine and bandages to the floor. He drew in deep breaths, a small patch of moisture on his side telling him that his wound had probably reopened.

"You are a fool," Raven snarled as she approached him, leaning over him as she smirked. "And for that, you must die." She reached into the pile of medical supplies, and Beast Boy's eyes widened as he realized that she had extracted a scalpal. Raven tilted her head slightly as she knelt down next to him, resting one forearm over his throat as she carefully positioned the scalpal over his chest. Beast Boy had just a second to realize what she was about to do before Raven dug the tool into his chest, and he let out a loud cry of pain as she draw the scalpal through his skin. Crimson blood seeped into his now-torn uniform as Beast Boy struggled to free himself without preventing himself from breathing at the same time. Raven sneered as she jerked the scalpal from his flesh, then moved it farther up and pushed the device into the skin over his heart. Beast Boy's eyes widened as he gasped at the agony tearing through him, and he drew in deep, sharp breaths.

_Uh, hey, dumbass? Might now be a good time to, oh, maybe, turn into some sort of animal AND GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THE GIRL WHO'S DOODLING ON YOUR CHEST WITH A SCALPAL?_

Beast Boy's body shrank as he shifted into an olive mouse, carefully darting away from his attacker. He changed back into human form several feet away, and he sat hunched over on the floor, his blood dripping on the linoleum floor. His eyes widened as he watched the crimson pool grow larger and larger, and as he sat up, he let out a small, strangled cry when he realized what Raven had carved on his chest.

"The Mark of Scath," a cold voice announced, reminding Beast Boy that he wasn't along in the room. The changeling looked up as Raven slowly approached him, the bloody scalpal still held carefully in one hand. "Even if my father can not complete his plan, the least I can do is to finish it for him." She pressed her foot against Beast Boy's shoulder, sending him sprawled on the floor, and hunched over him over more, the scalpal poised menacingly.

_I'm the only one who knows what to do. If she kills me, everyone dies._

Nothing like a bit of pressure to make Beast Boy get his butt in gear. Without even thinking, without paying any attention to the agony tearing at his torso, he reached up, grabbed the back of Raven's head, and pressed their lips together. Immediately, Raven let out a muffled screech, pressing her hands against Beast Boy's chest to push herself away. Her hands stung his torn skin, but Beast Boy did not move. The empath pounded her fists against him, struggling wildly to pull herself away, but still Beast Boy did not move. Finally, he let go, and dropped to the floor. His eyes slowly closed, and the last thing he saw was a pair of wide, blue eyes.

_She's back_.


End file.
